America Needs Health Care Professionals

Published 1:44 am, Thursday, September 8, 2016

Many more well-educated health care providers are needed in this country to deal with our growing, aging population. (NAPS)

Many more well-educated health care providers are needed in this country to deal with our growing, aging population. (NAPS)

America Needs Health Care Professionals

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(NAPSI)—If you or someone you care about is among the more than 36.5 million Americans the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates will be hospitalized this year, there are a few facts and figures you should know.

A Problem

For one thing, according to Dr. Betty Nelson, academic dean, School of Nursing, College of Health Professions at University of Phoenix, “one of the challenges facing the health care system is that there are increasingly complex health care needs that require health care professionals to adapt quickly.”

More health care professionals are needed to keep up everyone’s access to quality care.

One of the best examples of this shortage is found in the nursing workforce. Nurses are the cornerstone of the health service provided in this country, and the numbers are becoming increasingly alarming. In fact, between 2014 and 2024 the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, there will be more than a million vacancies in that sector.

The problem is compounded by current generational trends. As baby boomers get older and people tend to live longer, not only is America going to need a larger health care workforce, it’s going to need one that’s specifically skilled to handle an aging population’s unique needs. An increase in people at risk for stroke, heart disease, kidney failure and many other issues that develop at higher rates among the elderly can be expected.

Physicians’ burnout presents another wrinkle. However, one of the suggested approaches to addressing the shortage is to increase the number of nurses who are educated to test, diagnose and prescribe. It also means that, going forward, higher education will have to adjust its teachings so all health care professionals are prepared to enter the workforce with these responsibilities.

All this can mean additional challenges for a health care sys- tem that Americans are already worried about. A recent survey by Morning Consult found that almost four out of five respondents are concerned about the quality of their health care and over two-thirds are concerned about medical errors.

An Answer

To address these challenges, explains Dr. Nelson, “We need to have a large, well-educated workforce of skilled professionals, and we need to educate them now.”

Higher education, she adds, must adjust to provide the next generation of health care workers with the skills necessary to improve the quality of today’s health care, as well as improve the effectiveness of the health care system.

For many aspiring health care providers, that’s where University of Phoenix comes in. Its bachelor’s degrees, graduate degrees and certificate nursing programs are dedicated to helping licensed nurses get the advanced credentials and skills they need to stay current and thrive.

Learn More

For further facts about the issue and the university, visit www.phoenix.edu.

For general information about University of Phoenix programs, including on-time completion rates, the median debt incurred by students who completed the program and other important information, please visit www.phoenix.edu/programs/gainful-employment.